Department for Transport

Public Transport: Air Pollution

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps are being takento improve the air quality inside public transport vehicles.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Improving air quality is a top priority for this Government. We have put in place a £3.8 billion plan to deliver cleaner transport that includes £130 million already invested to support the purchase of over 1,700 low emission buses and supporting infrastructure and a further £5 billion announced by the Prime Minister to deliver a further 4,000 new zero emission vehicles and improve services. Actions we take to cut pollution from transport will improve air quality for users of public transport. In light of COVID-19, the Department’s Safer Transport guidance for operators encourages consideration of how to increase ventilation and air flow inside public transport vehicles. Where possible, transport operators should ensure that a fresh air supply is consistently flowing through public transport vehicles. The guidance is available online.

Railways: Fares

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to modify railway fares in the light of changing demand.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government remains committed to modernising rail fares and ticketing and, despite the impact of COVID-19, recognises that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a fundamental change in working patterns which could have long-term effects on commuter behaviours. We are actively considering how we can modernise our fares and retailing offer, to develop more convenient and better value options for passengers.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Spaceflight: Unst

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions have been held between the UK Space Agency and the Shetland Island Council about locating a spaceport on Unst; and what have been the outcomes from any such discussions.

Lord Callanan: The UK Space Agency has been in regular contact with Shetland Island Council, as we have been with councils in all potential spaceport locations, to understand their plans to support the Shetland Space Centre. These meetings have ensured a collaborative working relationship between the UK Space Agency and Shetland Island Council, and that the Council is aware of the support and engagement forums offered by Government to enable them to harness the opportunities offered by commercial spaceflight. For example, the UK Space Agency invited Shetland Island Council to attend the Regulation plenary sessions as well as put them in contact with relevant officials who can provide clarity around security considerations relating to engagement with other nations. Furthermore, UK Space Agency officials visited Shetland in October 2019 and received a briefing from the Shetland Island Council on their plans to support the Shetland Space Centre.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether under the COVID-19 tier rulesa person canmove from a primary residence in a high-risk tier to a secondary residence in a lower-risk tier in order to attend medical, dental and ophthalmic appointments; and if not, how they intend to enforce those rules.

Lord Bethell: People must comply with the restrictions and guidance in place in the area that they are currently residing. Those residing in areas that are under additional restrictions above the medium level should not be travelling to other areas. Similarly, we expect that inhabitants of medium restriction areas should not travel to other areas with greater restrictions.The National Health Service continues to provide healthcare services in all parts of the country, and there are exemptions to the rules in areas of increased restrictions that allow patients to attend medical, dental and ophthalmic appointments in other areas. There are no specific restrictions relating to travel and transport. However, people should keep their journeys to a minimum.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to clarify the COVID-19 tier rules for those with two or more places of residence; and whether someone whose primary residence is subject to one tier must abide by that tier's rules if moving to a secondary residencein a different tier.

Lord Bethell: People must comply with the restrictions and guidance in place in the area that they are currently residing. Those residing in areas that are under additional restrictions above the medium level should not be travelling to other areas. Similarly, we expect that inhabitants of medium restriction areas should not travel to other areas with greater restrictions.The National Health Service continues to provide healthcare services in all parts of the country, and there are exemptions to the rules in areas of increased restrictions that allow patients to attend medical, dental and ophthalmic appointments in other areas. There are no specific restrictions relating to travel and transport. However, people should keep their journeys to a minimum.

Hospitals

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bethell on 7 October (HL8399), whether they will now answer the question put, namely,what procedures they put in place to ensure the maximum use of capacity between 1 April and 1 September in hospitals operated by the Independent Healthcare Providers Network under their partnership agreement with the NHS.

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 7 October (HL8398), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, what estimate they have made of spare capacity between 1 April and 1 September in hospitals operated by the Independent Healthcare Providers Network under their partnership agreement with the NHS.

Lord Bethell: A national agreement is in place between NHS England and NHS Improvement in collaboration with the Independent Healthcare Providers Network and independent sector providers to ensure National Health Service patients benefit from an unprecedented partnership with private hospitals as we battle the COVID-19 outbreak.The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement have worked with the independent sector to secure all appropriate inpatient capacity and other resource across England.To maximise total elective activity, NHS England and NHS Improvement worked with independent providers to identify best of use of capacity, based on local need. From the end of March to June 2020 both equipment and staffing from independent sector providers were deployed by NHS trusts in order to ensure delivery of services for NHS patients. Since June, the use of independent sector sites has been focused on assisting the NHS to restore services and increase elective capacity.As part of preparing for winter, the Government has provided an additional £3 billion to the NHS. This includes additional funding to the NHS to allow them to continue to use additional hospital capacity from the independent sector, and to maintain the Nightingale hospitals, in their current state, until the end of March 2021.

Coronavirus: Universities

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to make mass on–campus testing available at all universities.

Lord Bethell: Testing capacity is the highest it has ever been, but we are seeing a significant demand for tests. It is vital that university staff and students only get a test if they develop coronavirus symptoms.We have quickly established walk-through sites and deployed mobile test sites so that almost all universities are within three miles of an in-person test site allowing staff and students to get access to tests should they develop symptoms. We are looking to reduce this further down to one and a half miles where possible.In cases of outbreaks we are working with universities to deliver large batches of home test kits which can then be distributed to students isolating in their households or halls to residence to test themselves.

Coronavirus: Aviation

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of UK residents who contracted COVID-19 whilst on an aeroplane.

Lord Bethell: It is not possible to concretely identify where infection occurs in individual positive cases of COVID-19. Where someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 has recently travelled on a flight, contact tracing will be carried out by a public health specialist. Priority is given to contact-tracing close contacts and co-travellers, since these persons face a higher risk than other passengers.

Eating Disorders: Hospital Beds

Baroness Parminter: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many inpatient beds are available to the NHS for eating disorder patients in (1) England, (2) the North of England, (3) the Midlands and East of England, (4) London, and (5) the South of England; and, for each of those categories, how many are available for (a) children and young people, and (b) adults.

Lord Bethell: The following table provides data on the number of inpatient beds for eating disorders for adults and for children and young people.  Total bed baseAdult eating disorder bedsChildren and Adolescent Mental Health Services eating disorder beds1England648 (national total)400248North of England (North East, North West and Yorkshire and Humber)15712928Midlands and East of England20397106London1629963South of England (including Wessex)1267551 Source: NHS England Note: 1Some children and young people with eating disorders are treated in general child and adolescent mental health services.

Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to answer the Question for Written Answer (HL7617) tabled by Lord Bradley on 2 September.

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to answer the Question for Written Answer (HL8019) tabled by Lord Bradley on 10 September.

Lord Bethell: I answered the Noble Lord’s questions on 8 and 20 October respectively.

Department for Education

Music: Education

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Youth Music and the Take It Away Consortium Reshape Music, published on 14 October; and what steps they are taking to make music education more accessible.

Baroness Berridge: The Reshape Music report provides a valuable contribution in understanding the experiences of disabled young people in accessing music education at school, through Music Education Hubs and in the community. The research was funded by the National Lottery fund through Arts Council England, and the Department will work closely with the Arts Council to assess the findings of the report.We believe all pupils should have access to a quality music education, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The National Plan for Music Education sets out our vision for music education, including to enable children from all backgrounds and every part of England to have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument.The Department is due to refresh the national plan following the Call for Evidence undertaken earlier this year. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the refresh of the national plan is currently on hold but will be published in due course.

Adult Education: Finance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Confederation of British Industry Learning for life: Funding a world-class adult education system, published on 19 October.

Baroness Berridge: The key theme of the report mirrors our own assessment of the need for reskilling and the importance of adult education. We have introduced or announced a range of policies to help boost adult education.To help boost apprenticeship opportunities, we are supporting employers to invest in the skilled workforce they need to recover and grow by offering £2,000 for each new apprentice they hire aged under 25, and £1,500 for those aged 25 and over, in recognition of the value apprentices of any age can bring to businesses and to our economic recovery.My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister recently announced a new lifetime skills guarantee that will help support adults across the country to make lifelong learning a reality - opening doors for more people to realise their talents, develop new skills and get better jobs.For adults who do not currently have a level 3 qualification, the government will be fully funding their first full level 3 through the National Skills Fund. This entitlement will be targeted at areas with high economic value and the strongest alignment with government priorities, to ensure the best possible returns for individuals, employers and the nation.New digital bootcamps, in 6 areas, will support local regions and employers to fill in-demand vacancies. The bootcamp training courses will provide valuable skills based on employer demand and will offer a fast track to a job interview on completion. Pending the success of the initial bootcamps, we are planning to expand the digital bootcamps to more of the country from spring 2021. We also want to extend this model to include other technical skills training.A Lifelong Loan Entitlement, which will provide individuals with an entitlement to 4 years of loan funding to use over their lifetime. The entitlement could be used for modules of a course, as well as full years of study. We will be consulting on the Lifelong Loan Entitlement in due course and will bring in legislation later in the Parliament as necessary.This is on top of the already announced £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations), for the National Skills Fund to help adults learn valuable skills and prepare for the economy of the future. It aims to boost productivity and ensure more people and places can share in the rewards that improved productivity can bring. It also presents a great opportunity to create a more coherent and simpler system that learners, providers, local areas and employers can more easily understand and navigate. Further plans for the National Skills Fund will be communicated in due course.We are also continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) (£1.34 billion in the 2020/21 academic year). The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to support adults to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. This includes fully funded courses in English and maths, for adults who need to improve their literacy and numeracy, fully funded first full level 2 and/or level 3 for learners aged 19 to 23 and fully funded specified digital skills qualifications for adults with no/low digital skills.

Apprentices: Redundancy

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase support for apprentices who have been made redundant during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Berridge: We are committed to supporting redundant apprentices to find new opportunities and to continue and complete their apprenticeships wherever possible.In August we introduced the new Redundancy Support Service for Apprentices which provides clear, accessible advice and guidance to individuals on the impact of redundancy, their options and next steps. As part of this service we also launched a vacancy sharing scheme to help redundant apprentices find new apprenticeship opportunities with employers. Over 850 employers have signed up to the service to offer opportunities to redundant apprentices, including Bupa Dental and Taylor Wimpey.We have also amended legislation to enable more apprentices to complete their apprenticeship in the event of redundancy. In addition to funding an apprentice’s training to completion if they have less than six months of their apprenticeship remaining at the point of redundancy, we have extended this provision to include any apprentice who has completed 75% or more of their apprenticeship at the point of redundancy.To help support employers to offer new apprenticeships, including to those that have been made redundant, employers are now able to claim £2,000 for every new apprentice they hire under the age of 25, and £1,500 for those 25 and over, until 31 January 2021.

Apprentices: Construction

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe reportby the Construction Industry CouncilBuild back better: Improving the apprenticeship system to better support infrastructure, published in September;and what plans they have to review the flexibility of the apprenticeship levy.

Baroness Berridge: We welcome the Construction Industry Council highlighting the value apprenticeships bring to employers and individuals and it is encouraging to see that the report shows the positive impact the levy has had on apprenticeship recruitment among both levy and non-levy paying employers.The apprenticeship levy is an important part of our apprenticeship reforms, supporting employers of all sizes to invest in high-quality training. As well as funding new apprenticeships in levy-paying employers, income from the levy is used to fund new apprenticeships in employers that do not pay the levy, as well as existing apprentices that started in previous years.We have already committed to improve the working of the apprenticeship levy and as part of this we will work with employers to improve the transfer process, making it easier for them to find smaller employers to transfer levy funds to. In doing so we will build on successful regional pilot schemes, such as that in West Midlands Combined Authority. We are also working with employers to make apprenticeships work better for different sectors, including those with more flexible and short-term models of employment.We also recognise that employers of all sizes currently face significant challenges. To help support employers to offer new apprenticeships, employers are now able to claim £2,000 for every new apprentice they hire under the age of 25, and £1,500 for those 25 and over until 31 January 2021. Employers can use this funding to help meet any of the costs associated with supporting a new apprentice in the workplace, including: uniforms, apprentice travel and towards meeting the cost of an apprentice’s wages.We continue to work closely with the construction sector and are committed to making sure the apprenticeship programme continues to provide opportunities for people of all backgrounds, while meeting the needs of employers of all sizes and delivering for the economy.

Training: Unemployed People

Lord Bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to facilitate the mass retraining and upskilling of people to enable them to work in COVID-19-proof industries.

Baroness Berridge: The department wants to make the skills systems more responsive to employer skills needs in all sectors and will do whatever it takes to support businesses and people affected by COVID-19, which is why we offer a variety of programmes that businesses and individuals can use to retrain and upskill.Adult skills?are?key in supporting the economy and tackling disadvantage. We are continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) (£1.34 billion in the 2020/21 financial year). The principal purpose of the AEB is to engage adults and provide the skills and learning they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. This includes fully funded courses in English and maths for adults who need to improve their literacy and numeracy, fully funded first full level 2 and/or level 3 for learners aged 19 to 23 and from 1 August 2020, fully funded specified digital skills qualifications for adults with no/low digital skills. The AEB also funds learning in the workplace, where a learner has a statutory entitlement to full funding.Employers can offer apprenticeships to new recruits and existing staff, supporting the creation of new jobs as well as opportunities to upskill. They can choose between more than 580 apprenticeship standards that have been designed by employers to deliver the skills they need.The government is also providing £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations), for the National Skills Fund.The fund aims to boost productivity and ensure more people and places can share in the rewards that improved productivity can bring. It also presents a great opportunity to create a more coherent and simpler system that learners, providers, local areas and employers can more easily understand and navigate.My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister recently announced that for adults who do not currently have a level 3 qualification, the government will be fully funding their first full level 3 through the National Skills Fund. We will target this level 3 entitlement at subjects and qualifications with economic value and the strongest alignment with government priorities, to ensure the best possible returns for individuals, employers and the nation.The Prime Minister also announced the launch of our new digital bootcamps, in 6 areas, to support local regions and employers to fill in-demand vacancies. The bootcamp training courses will provide valuable skills based on employer demand and will offer a fast track to a job interview on completion. Pending the success of the initial bootcamps, we are planning to expand the digital bootcamps to more of the country from Spring 2021 and we also want to extend this model to include other technical skills training.Further plans for the National Skills Fund will be communicated in due course.

Special Educational Needs

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the challenges facing the parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities as outlined in the BBC Panorama programme Fighting for an Education, broadcast on 7 September.

Baroness Berridge: The safety and wellbeing of the most vulnerable children has always been a priority. That is why we kept nurseries, schools and colleges open to those with education, health and care plans, where it was safe to do so, and provided clear guidance on who was eligible to attend.We understand that this is a challenging time for all parents, but particularly for those whose children have additional needs. As part of our response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have supported local authorities, education providers and health services to respond to the challenges effectively by providing local authorities with £4.6 billion to meet additional demands, including within children’s services. We are also increasing high needs funding for those with the most complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by £780 million this year, and a further £730 million next year, to help provide the support that parents rightly expect for their children particularly during the COVID-19 outbreak.Our reforms to the SEND system, in 2014, introduced vital support. In September 2019, we announced the SEND Review to ensure that the SEND system provides consistent, high quality, and integrated support across education, health and care. This cross-government review will look at ways to improve SEND so that young people with additional needs can thrive as they prepare for adulthood. The review will also consider ways of strengthening the accountability system and ensuring that poorer performing local authorities are monitored closely. In addition, we have commissioned the development of a new round of inspections from Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, which we expect to drive more substantial improvements at a local and national level.

Universities: Remote Education

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with universities regarding a move to online teaching.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: We applaud the resilience, innovation and dedication shown by higher education staff and students in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. In August, my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Universities, convened, and continues to chair, the Higher Education Taskforce, which includes representatives from a number of university organisations, through which we have provided public health advice and discussed matters to help providers to keep students and staff as safe as possible. In addition, universities are working with their local health protection teams and Directors of Public Health to determine the most effective measures that will help reduce transmission.The Office for Students (OfS) has published information for providers, detailing practical guidance on how best to ensure students continue to receive a high-quality academic experience. The OfS will keep this guidance under review to ensure it remains relevant to the developing circumstances of the pandemic. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education has also published a series of guides to support providers to secure academic standards and to support student achievement during the pandemic.The OfS published a statement on 9 October, setting out a number of measures that it is taking. These include making direct contact with those providers which have moved predominantly to online provision as a result of local COVID-19 restrictions. The OfS is actively monitoring these providers to ensure that they maintain the quality of their provision, that they are making all reasonable efforts to ensure online learning is accessible for all students, and that they have been clear in their communications to students about how arrangements for teaching and learning may change throughout this year. If the OfS has any concerns, it will investigate further.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has also commissioned Sir Michael Barber, the Chairman of the OfS, to lead a review to consider how to enhance the quality of digital teaching and learning and the opportunities which digital education presents for universities in the medium and long term. The review is expected to report in spring 2021.

Union Learning Fund

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to replace the Union Learning Fund to ensure that workers continue to have access to training.

Baroness Berridge: The National Skills Fund is a substantial commitment to invest £2.5 billion in skills development over this parliament, which compares to £12 million in the current annual budget for Unionlearn. There is an existing adult entitlement to support any adult without English and Maths level 2 or Digital Skills level 1 to gain those qualifications, which my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, extended with his speech at Exeter College on 29 September 2020, confirming a new Lifetime Learning Guarantee that any adult without a level 3 qualification would be fully funded to obtain one. Reinvesting our existing funding for Unionlearn in our expanded offer will therefore contribute to a much more comprehensive offer in future, accessible to a wide range of learners, helping them to develop their skills and careers.

Special Educational Needs

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish the outcome of their review of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Baroness Berridge: The government is currently conducting a thorough and fundamental review of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system.The issues that the SEND system face are complex, but we are determined to deliver real, lasting improvements, taking into account the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.The findings of the review will be published as soon as it is practicable to do so.

Treasury

Broadband: Finance

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcement that the long-term spending review will be replaced by a one-year spending review, whether plans to service the UK with fibre broadband by 2025 will be included as a multi-year capital allocation priority infrastructure project.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Spending Review, which will be delivered on 25 November, will set out the government’s spending plans. The government recognises the importance of connectivity both to the economy and to people’s lives. We are committed to nationwide gigabit-capable broadband as soon as possible, and are taking a number of steps to achieve this. The March Budget this year committed £5 billion to support the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband in the hardest to reach areas.

Employee Ownership and Save as You Earn

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manypeople have participated in (1) a Save As You Earn, and (2) a Share Incentive Plan, scheme in each of the last five years.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Save As You Earn (SAYE) scheme and Share Incentive Plans (SIPs) are tax-advantaged employee share schemes offered by the Government. HMRC publishes annual statistics on Employee Share Schemes on GOV.UK[1]. Statistics on participation in SAYE schemes and SIPs for the last four years can be found in the tables below. Figures for 2014-15 are not available due to the introduction of the Employment Related Securities service. HMRC collects data at the points at which employees enter or leave Employee Share Schemes which is reflected in the tables below. However, HMRC does not hold data on the number of people who hold options or shares within an Employee Share Scheme each year. For SAYE, data is provided on the number of employees who are granted and exercised options. For SIPs, data is provided on the number of employees who are awarded or purchase the four different types of shares available. Some employees may receive more than one type of share in a given year.   Table 1 - SAYE SAYEEmployees granted share optionsEmployees exercising share options14-15--15-16510,000200,00016-17400,000140,00017-18340,000120,00018-19310,000110,000Table 2 - SIP SIP – employees awarded / purchasedFree sharesPartnership sharesMatching sharesDividend shares14-15----15-16560,0005,380,0003,920,000870,00016-17140,0004,160,0002,990,000760,00017-18140,0002,890,0002,010,000530,00018-19110,0002,840,0002,050,000500,000 [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/employee-share-schemes-statistics#national-statistics

Premium Bonds

Baroness Hoey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any consultation took place before the announcement that, in future, premium bond winners will not receive their cheques by post.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The decision by NS&I announced on September 17 to pay all Premium Bonds prizes direct to customers’ bank accounts was informed by customer research and changing customer behaviours. It will make managing Premium Bonds prize distribution quicker, more cost-effective and have a much lower environmental impact. Since 2011, Premium Bonds holders have been able to have their prizes paid directly into a UK bank account in their name. Since March 2020, nearly half a million customers have switched from receiving paper warrants to having their prizes paid directly into their bank account or automatically reinvested. In the October 2020 prize draw, more than three quarters (76%) of the 3,921,323 prizes were paid directly into customers’ bank accounts or reinvested into more Premium Bonds.

Renewable Energy: VAT

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the case for removing VAT from domestic microgeneration renewable products and installations to help consumers to adopt domestic renewable energy sources.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Under current VAT rules, the installation of water and wind turbines is subject to the standard rate of VAT. However, the installation of other energy saving materials that generate domestic energy, such as solar panels and micro combined heat and power units, are subject to the reduced rate of VAT when certain conditions are met.Although there are no current plans to extend the scope of the relief already in place, the Government keeps all taxes under review.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Local Government: Cumbria

Lord Walney: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Invitation for Proposals for a Single Tier of Local Government issued to principal authorities in Cumbria by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 9 October, what plans they have to consider proposals that cross existing county boundaries.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Secretary of State will carefully consider any proposal for single tier local government received in response to the invitation issued on 9 October 2020 on the basis of the longstanding criteria for establishing unitary councils, namely that, if implemented, it must be likely to improve local government in the area, commands a good deal of local support overall across the area, and lead to unitary councils covering a credible geography.The statutory Guidance accompanying the invitation states that in formulating a proposal an authority should take into account the impact of any proposed unitary authorities on other local boundaries and geographies; if the area of any proposed unitary authority crosses existing police force and fire and rescue authority boundaries, the proposal should include an assessment of what the impact would be on the police forces and/or fire and rescue authorities and include the views of the relevant Police and Crime Commissioners and Fire and Rescue Authorities.

Urban Areas: Regeneration

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress made to date on theirplans to reinvigorate fishing towns and communities.

Lord Greenhalgh: This Government recognises the unique challenges facing coastal communities and is committed to levelling up all areas of the UK. Through our £229 million Coastal Communities Fund we are supporting communities across England, including fishing towns. Now, through the £3.6 billion Towns Fund we are investing up to £25 million in fishing towns such as Blyth and St Ives. Coastal communities will further be supported through our flagship Fisheries Bill, creating new powers to set fairer fishing opportunities.

Homelessness

Lord Bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support they plan to give to local councils to provide permanent accommodation to those at risk of homelessness.

Lord Greenhalgh: As part of the Government’s investment of £433 million to deliver 6,000 new homes for rough sleepers by the end of this Parliament, on 29 October we announced that more than 3,300 new long-term homes for rough sleepers and other vulnerable people have been approved, subject to due diligence and contracting.Backed by Government investment of more than £150 million the new homes will be made available in every region of England. This will enable people who sleep rough, or at risk of sleeping rough, to be rehoused in secure, long-term accommodation, providing some of the most vulnerable in society with a permanent place to live and help to rebuild their lives.This funding is in addition to the £91.5 million allocated to 274 councils in September to fund their individual local plans for rough sleepers over the coming months, and to help provide short-term and interim accommodation for vulnerable people, as well as the £10 million Cold Weather Payment for councils to help to keep rough sleepers safe this winter.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Recruitment

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the existing syllabus for new recruits to the armed forces currently includes training on gambling related harm.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enact legislation similar to the Gambling Addiction Prevention Act 2019 in the United States, which legally requires the development and implementation of policies and programmes to prevent and treat gambling disorders among members of the armed forces and their dependants.

Baroness Goldie: New recruits to the Armed Forces receive comprehensive briefing on the importance of financial security and the values and standards expected of them, during which the issue of gambling is raised. They are also signposted to the full range of support and assistance available for welfare matters, including gambling. New officers are trained how to identify and support those under their command who are experiencing financial difficulties, including those caused by gambling.There are no plans to enact legislation similar to that of the United States' Gambling Addiction Prevention Act 2019. Polices and initiatives already in operation by the Department and Armed Forces closely mirror the requirements and obligations stipulated by said Act and have similar effect.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Nigeria: Violence

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of reports that the Nigerian Armed Forces opened fire on peaceful protesters in Lagos;and what discussions they have had with the government ofNigeria about referring CCTV footage of those events to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rightsfor independent verification.

Baroness Sugg: The UK Government is deeply concerned by the violence during protests in major cities in Nigeria, including reports of casualties in Lekki, Lagos, on 20 October. We offer our condolences to the families of those affected.The Foreign Secretary issued a statement on 21 October calling for an end to the violence and for the Nigerian Government to urgently investigate reports of brutality by its security forces. The Minister for Africa tweeted on 16 October, noting the Nigerian people's democratic and peaceful calls for reforms, and again on 21 October, encouraging the Nigerian authorities to restore peace and address concerns over brutality towards civilians. He reiterated these messages when he spoke with Foreign Minister Onyeama on 23 October. The British High Commissioner in Abuja and the Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos continue to raise the protests with representatives of the Nigerian Government. We will continue to push the Nigerian police to uphold human rights and the rule of law in all operations. We will also continue to urge the Nigerian authorities to investigate allegations of police brutality, illegal detentions and assaults, and hold those responsible to account.The UK Government have received reassurances from the Lagos State Government that the CCTV cameras were not removed from the site and that the CCTV footage will be made available to the Judicial Panel of Enquiry and Restitution in Lagos State for investigation. We will continue to follow the proceedings of the Judicial Panel closely.

Cameroon: Armed Conflict

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the British High Commissioner to the Cameroon last visited Kumba in the Southwest Region of that Country; what plans there are for another visit in order toassessthe human rights situation following the attack on primary school children at a school in that city; and whatsteps they intend to take to restartthe peace process in the Cameroon between government and armed militia groups.

Baroness Sugg: The Government remains deeply concerned about the situation in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon including reports of human rights abuses and violations by both armed separatists and security forces. We are appalled by the attack on the Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy in Kumba, Cameroon, on 24 October and the horrific killing of innocent children. We offer our condolences to the families of those affected. The British High Commissioner to Cameroon publicly condemned the attack on 24 October, and on 25 October the Minister for Africa publicly called for the perpetrators of this vile act to be held accountable, reiterating that every child has the right to a safe education. The British High Commissioner to Cameroon regularly visits the South-West region, and remains in close contact with a range of groups affected by the crisis.We continue to call for restraint, an end to the violence and inclusive dialogue about the root causes of the crisis. The Minister for Africa has committed to visiting Cameroon in the coming few months and will again raise the Government's concerns about the crisis directly with the Government of Cameroon. The UK has shared experiences of conflict resolution with the Government, and through the British High Commission in Yaoundé we are also supporting local partners in their efforts to promote peace. We continue to urge all parties to remain engaged in ongoing Swiss-led efforts to facilitate talks and remain ready to support all credible peacebuilding efforts.

Ghana: Counter-terrorism

Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threat of terrorism as a result of Islamist extremism in Ghana; and what support they intend to offer to the government of Ghana to counter that threat.

Baroness Sugg: We are committed to working with Ghana, other West African countries and our international partners to prepare against the threat of possible future Islamist insurgencies in coastal West Africa. The Prime Minister discussed security in the region with President Akufo-Addo of Ghana at the UK-Africa Investment Summit in January. The UK is concerned by the potential emerging threat of terrorism to Ghana and other West African coastal states from extremist groups currently active in the neighbouring Sahel.The UK is working closely with the Government of Ghana to share knowledge and expertise on regional security. The Ministry of Defence is delivering crisis response training to support Ghana to counter the threat, working both with security agencies in the north of Ghana and the central government in Accra, as well as helping to develop Ghana's military capability with US partners.

Cameroon: Peace Negotiations

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the killing of six children in an attack on a school inKumba, Cameroon on 24 October; and what representations they intend to make tothe government of Cameroonabout (1) the provision ofprotection for schools, (2) the declaration of a ceasefire, and(3) the case for formal negotiations to finda resolution to thecrisis in the Anglophone regions.

Baroness Sugg: The UK Government is appalled by the attack on the Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy in Kumba, Cameroon, on 24 October and the horrific killing of innocent children. We offer our condolences to the families of those affected. On 25 October the Minister for Africa publicly called for the perpetrators of this vile act to be held accountable, reiterating that every child has the right to a safe education. As the Prime Minister's UK Special Envoy for Girls' Education, I am committed to ensuring girls' rights remains a priority for the UK Government including fulfilling every girl's right to 12 years of quality education.The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the situation in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon including reports of human rights abuses and violations by both armed separatists and security forces. We continue to call for restraint, an end to the violence and inclusive dialogue about the root causes of the crisis, including during engagement with senior levels of the Government of Cameroon. The Minister for Africa has committed to visiting Cameroon soon and will again raise the Government's concerns about the crisis directly with the Government of Cameroon. The UK has shared experiences of conflict resolution with the Government, and through the British High Commission in Yaoundé we are also supporting local partners in their efforts to promote peace. We continue to urge all parties to remain engaged in ongoing Swiss-led efforts to facilitate talks and remain ready to support all credible peacebuilding efforts.

Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government which British embassies have active projects under the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative; and for any such projects, what they entail.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Five projects directly funded by the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) are planned for delivery by our overseas embassies. These projects will deliver against the three core PSVI objectives: strengthening justice and accountability; ensuring support for all survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and tackling the stigma they face; preventing conflict related sexual violence through engagement with faith, media and other stakeholders.

Union Election Commission: Overseas Aid

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have provided any funds to support the Union Election Commission in Myanmar; if so, why; and what assessment they have made of reports that it has forbidden Rohingya people from standing as candidates.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is not providing any direct financial support to the Union Election Commission (UEC). We are very concerned at the exclusion of candidates on spurious citizenship grounds, this includes Rohingya and Muslim candidates. The right to stand as a candidate for all people in Myanmar is a key part of achieving effective democracy. Decisions made by the election commission must be transparent and clearly communicated. We are clear that the Rohingya, who have lived in Myanmar for generations, should be granted full citizenship and the associated rights. The Rohingya should not be excluded from Myanmar's elections. The Minister for Asia raised this issue with the Myanmar Minister for International Cooperation in June. We also raised this at the UN Security Council in September.

World Health Assembly: Taiwan

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to seek to include Taiwan as an observer at the forthcoming World Health Assembly, particularly at technical meetings relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK continues to support Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organisations where statehood is not a prerequisite and where Taiwan can make a valuable contribution. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office supports the Department for Health in lobbying for Taiwan's participation in World Health Organisation (WHO) meetings. The UK is working with likeminded countries to lobby the WHO at official level to issue an invitation to Taiwan to observe the World Health Assembly in November and allow Taiwan to participate in relevant WHO technical meetings. Lessons learnt from Taiwan's effective tackling of the Covid-19 pandemic adds significant value to the international fight against the virus.

Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the outcome of projects completed under the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative since March 2018.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: All Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) projects completed since 2018, are reviewed individually in an end of project report. Overall, Her Majesty's Government is satisfied our programming work continues to deliver against the three core PSVI objectives: strengthening justice and accountability; ensuring support for all survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and tackling the stigma they face; preventing conflict related sexual violence through engagement with faith, media and other stakeholders.

Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times the UK team of experts on preventing sexual violence in conflict has been deployed since March 2018; to which countries they have been deployed; and what was the outcome as a result of each such deployment.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Team of Experts have been deployed 11 times since March 2018, including deployments to Dhaka, Mali and Zimbabwe. The sensitive nature of the deployments means that the outcomes are not published. The Team of Experts are a group of independent experts deployed to support the work of national and international bodies and NGOs.

China: UN Human Rights Council

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the government of China’s election to the UN Human Rights Council on 13 October, and (2) the impact of that election onthatCouncil’s ability to hold thegovernment of China accountable for the human rights situation in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are clear that all members of the Council, including China, should uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights. We have repeatedly made clear to China our grave concerns about the human rights situation in the country, including at the most recent session of the UN Human Rights council on 25 September, where we dedicated our entire national statement to China. We will continue to take a leading international role in holding China to account for its human rights violations, both at the UN Human Rights Council and by raising our concerns directly with Chinese authorities.

Palestinians: Olives

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take, if any, to protect olive groves and farmland in Palestine from damage by Israeli settlers.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK condemns any incidence of violence by settlers against Palestinians. We recognise that there can be an increase in assaults on Palestinian farmers, the destruction of olive trees and the stealing of produce coinciding with the Palestinian olive harvest, which began earlier this month. We have expressed our concerns to the Israeli Government on a number of occasions. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population. We welcome the efforts of Israeli authorities to address settler violence, and urge them to thoroughly investigate every instance and bring those responsible to justice.

Turkey: Water Supply

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make representations to the government of Turkey to restore the supply from Alouk water station on a permanent basis; and what plans they have to seek the support of other countries on this matter.

Baroness Sugg: The UK remains concerned by persistent disruption to water supply from Alouk water station to Hasakeh and other parts of North East Syria. Officials have raised this with the Turkish Government, including most recently on 22nd October. They continue to reassure us on their commitment to finding a workable solution. The UK discusses the situation regularly with the UN and UN member states, including at the Humanitarian Task Force in Geneva. Inconsistent electricity provision to pump water is an additional impediment and we welcome recent attempts by UNICEF to begin installing voltage stabilisers. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Nagorno Karabakh: Armed Conflict

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the validity of footage showing Azerbaijan Military personnel executing two Armenian prisoners of war; and whether this constitutes a violation of the Geneva Convention.

Baroness Sugg: Officials are assessing the footage in question. We are deeply concerned of accusations from both sides that war crimes are being committed and continue to urge de-escalation. Where it is possible to verify reports of alleged violations of the Geneva Convention in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, we will do so and we will raise these with the parties involved.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Legal Costs

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 3 August (HL7037), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, what has been the total cost to the public purse of the UK’s participation in recent proceedings before the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965.

Baroness Sugg: These advisory proceedings in the International Court of Justice concerned a request for an advisory opinion from the United Nations General Assembly. All Member States of the United Nations were invited to participate in the proceedings. Thirty-one States and the African Union filed written statements, and ten States and the African Union filed written comments on the written statements. Twenty-two States and the African Union participated in the oral proceedings.The UK participated at all stages of the proceedings. From the accessible records held by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the legal costs of the UK's participation were £309,608.20. This figure comprises Counsels' fees and Government Legal Department fees.

Home Office

Asylum and Immigration: Deportation

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many enforced returns they are in the process of carrying out because of a breach of asylum or immigration rules; and whether those subject to those returns have been informed.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Numbers of those liable to removal can be found online (and attached) in our published statistics in table ASY_03 at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-protection-data-august-2020 and tables Pre_MRP_01 and Post_MRP_01 at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-enforcement-data-august-2020The notification of liability to removal, including changes brought in by the Immigration Act 2014; single power of removal; appeal rights; administrative reviews; and curtailment. More detail can be found at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/606982/GI-Non-EEA-admin-removal-v3.pdfTable - ASY_03 (xlsx, 395.4KB)Tables - Pre MRP 01 and Post MRP 01 (xlsx, 103.0KB)

British Nationality: Fees and Charges

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theanswer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 19 October (HL Deb, cols 1272–5), in how many instances citizenship feeswere waived during the last twelve months for which figures are available; how many of those waivers involved children; and what plans they have to undertake a children’s best interest assessment of their policy on citizenship fees.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: There are no general waivers that apply to citizenship applications. There is however, a specific waiver which allows for a child who would have become a British citizen but for the fact that the mother was married to someone other than the child’s biological father at the time of the birth, to apply to register as a British citizen without needing to pay a fee.There are a number of exceptions to application fees for leave to remain in the United Kingdom which protect the most vulnerable, such as for young people who are in the care of a local authority.Citizenship registration fees are the subject of current litigation. While the court case is ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment on next steps.

Osime Brown

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to thepetition to stop the deportation of Osime Brown receiving over 250,000 signatures, what plans they have (1) to assess the compassionate factors relating to his case, and (2) to review his deportation.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We only ever return those who we and, where applicable, the courts are satisfied do not need our protection and have no legal basis to remain in the UK. No action would be taken to deport an individual while there are outstanding legal barriers that would prevent their removal from the UK and until all outstanding representations have been considered.It would be inappropriate to comment further while legal proceedings are ongoing.

Asylum: Employment

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 29 September (HL8116),what plans they have to publish the terms of reference for the Home Office review into the right to work of asylum seekers.

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 29 September (HL8116), what external organisations have been (1) formally, and (2) informally, consulted as part of the Home Office review into the right to work of asylum seekers.

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theresponse byLord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 9 September (HL Deb, col 820), when the review into the right to work of asylum seekers will be laid before the House.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Asylum seeker right to work is a complex issue. A review of the policy is ongoing, and we are considering the evidence put forward on the issue. The findings of the review will be announced once the work has been completed.Officials have been in contact as necessary with Asylum Matters and Refugee Action in respect of asylum seeker right to work policy.

Department for International Trade

Turkey: Military Intervention

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister has received a joint letter, dated 2 September, from community organisations representing Cypriots, Armenians, Kurds and Egyptians in the UK about the government of Turkey's military actions; and if so, what assessment they have made of that letter.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: The joint letter was responded to by HM Government on 30th September 2020. The response outlined our priority to replicate the effects of the existing EU trading relationship with Turkey as far as possible, into a bilateral arrangement by the end of the Transition Period, whilst also offering reassurance on the robustness of our policies on the important matters raised. Trade does not come at the expense of our record in upholding rights and responsibilities, which a key part of our foreign policy, and HM Government will continue to engage the Turkish Government on these issues.

Commonwealth: Digital Technology

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made as a result of the Digital Connectivity Cluster led by the UK and South Africa.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in 2018, countries reaffirmed their commitment to free trade and adopted the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda for Trade and Investment with the ambition of enhancing cooperation across the Commonwealth – boosting intra-Commonwealth trade to beyond $2 trillion by 2030. Six members came forward to lead the five ‘clusters’ (working groups): physical, digital, regulatory, supply-side and business to business connectivity. Following the launch of the Connectivity Agenda, the United Kingdom volunteered to co-lead the digital cluster with South Africa. The Connectivity Agenda clusters have met three times so far. Members from 18 Commonwealth countries have exchanged views and experiences on the opportunities and challenges of digital transformation, digital inclusion, barriers to e-commerce and the readiness of countries to engage in digital trade. Members have also discussed developing a set of high-level principles to underpin digital connectivity. The Commonwealth Secretariat is developing a Commonwealth FinTech Toolkit and a Commonwealth Repository of Digital Policies.

Exports

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they plan to provide to encourage the target growth in exports.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: The Government is committed to ensuring that all UK businesses can take advantage of the significant economic benefits of exporting. According to UNCTAD global export rankings (released in September 2020) the UK overtook France to become the world’s fifth largest exporter in 2019 and was the only one of the world’s top ten exporters to increase exports in that year. Our ambitious free trade agreement programme and market access work helps unlock new opportunities for exporters worldwide. We also provide direct support to both new and existing exporters, to ensure firms have the confidence and expertise they need to export around the world. Access to finance is also central to our support for business. The export finance offer from UK Export Finance, the UK’s export credit agency, helps UK companies win export contracts, fulfil contracts, and get paid.

Trade Agreements: Ghana

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to explore non-reciprocal mechanisms to allow continued market access if their negotiations with the government of Ghana to reach a continuity trade agreement are not successful.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: We continue to engage with Ghana to secure their duty-free quota-free access to Britain, through a continuity trade agreement that would replicate the effect of the existing EU trade agreement and provide lasting certainty for businesses in our trading arrangements. If a continuity agreement cannot be agreed with Ghana then, as a lower-middle income country, they will be able to get some trade preferences through our Generalised Scheme of Preferences from 31st December 2020.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Drugs

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many tests were undertaken by UK Anti-Doping in the UK during the periods (1) January to March 2019, (2) April to June 2019, (3) July to September 2019, (4) October to December 2019, (5) January to March, (6) April to June, and (7) July to September.

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) blood samples, and (2) urine samples have been collected by UK Anti-Doping in the UK each month since March, in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland, and (d) Wales.

Baroness Barran: UK Anti-Doping defines a test as any attempt to test a single athlete in a single Sample Collection Session. During the periods:January to March 2019, it conducted 3,803 testsApril to June 2019, it conducted 2,212 testsJuly to September 2019, it conducted 2,943 testsOctober to December 2019, it conducted 2,789 testsJanuary to March 2020, it conducted 2,512 testsApril to June 2020, it conducted 126 tests. The drop in testing during this period was due to UK Anti-Doping’s decision in March 2020 to significantly reduce its testing programme due to Covid-19.July to September 2020. The testing statistics for this period have not yet been released.All testing in the first quarter of 2020-2021 (April-June 2020) conducted in the UK was done in England. However, this does not mean that athletes from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales were not tested during this time. UK Anti-Doping publishes its testing figures on a quarterly basis and combines the figures for blood and urine samples. This ensures transparency of its testing activity, while protecting the confidential methodology which goes into planning a testing programme.

Sports: Drugs

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a claim by athletes at a testing location that someone in their household is self-isolating, quarantining or shielding provides sufficient grounds for UK Anti-Doping not to continue with testing; and how many cases in each of these categories have been noted by UK Anti-Doping since the restrictions arising from COVID-19 were imposed.

Baroness Barran: If attempting testing at an athlete’s home, Doping Control Personnel or “Testers” will check whether anyone present at the athlete’s residence is self-isolating, quarantining or shielding. If so, then this would provide sufficient grounds for UK Anti-Doping not to continue with testing. If testing outside of an athlete’s home, Doping Control Personnel will check the athlete does not have Covid-19, Covid-19 symptoms, or is in an at risk-group before proceeding. UK Anti-Doping has developed a protocol which its Doping Control Personnel are required to follow to determine whether an athlete can be tested. This procedure is in line with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s guidance for resuming testing, and is fully outlined on UK Anti-Doping’s website.Doping Control Personnel also warn the athlete that if they (or anyone else on their behalf) provide any information which is later found to be false, misleading, inaccurate or incomplete they may be committing the Anti-Doping Rule Violation of ‘Tampering or Attempted Tampering’ which could result in sanctions.So far, there have not been any cases where testing has not proceeded due to self-isolation, quarantining or shielding.

Sports: Drugs

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the ending of the statute on limitations this year for testing samples collected at the London Olympic Games in 2012, (1) how many anti-doping violations were found from retested samples collected in London; (2) what percentage of the urine samples collected at the London Olympic Games were re-analysed; and (3) which Olympic champions and medallists were stripped of their medals.

Baroness Barran: The government does not hold the data to answer this question. The samples collected during the London Olympic Games in 2012 were done so under the jurisdiction of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), rather than UK Anti-Doping (the UK’s national anti-doping organisation). As LOCOG no longer exists, it is therefore the IOC that has the ability to reanalyse the samples collected at the Games. UK Anti-Doping has welcomed the reanalysis of samples from previous Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Tourism: Coronavirus

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support tourism businesses thatare unable to trade due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Baroness Barran: We are aware that many tourism businesses’ trade has been restricted by Government measures to control the spread of Covid-19.We have taken a number of steps to support tourism businesses through this period, including the significant cut to VAT for tourism and hospitality activities until the end of March. Businesses can continue to make use of the Government’s broader support package, including the Bounce Back Loans scheme, the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Job Support Scheme.We have expanded the Job Support Scheme to provide support to businesses whose premises have been legally required to close as a direct result of Covid-19 restrictions set by one or more of the four governments of the UK.We have also announced grants of up to £2,100 per month, primarily for businesses in the hospitality, accommodation and leisure sector who may be adversely impacted by the restrictions in high-alert level areas in England.We are continuing to engage across Government and with stakeholders to assess how we can most effectively support the recovery of tourism across the UK.

ARM: NVIDIA

Lord Broers: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have requested that the Competition and Markets Authorityinvestigate the potentialpurchase of ARM by Nvidia; and if not, what plans they have to do so.

Baroness Barran: The government is clear that Arm is an important part of the UK's technology sector and makes a significant contribution to the UK economy.The Competition and Markets Authority bears responsibility for assessing any competition impacts arising from the proposed deal and it will be following its normal regulatory processes in examining this deal. Separately, the Secretary of State also has the responsibility for determining whether or not to refer an acquisition on public interest grounds if relevant thresholds in the Enterprise Act 2002 are met. As such, we are examining this potential acquisition carefully.We note that it is subject to regulatory approvals in multiple jurisdictions and is not expected to complete until 2022. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.

Television Licences: Fees and Charges

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government which regulations set the frequency and amount of instalments by which TV licence fees can be paid; what are the prescribed (1) weekly, (2) monthly, and (3) quarterly, instalment amounts of such fees; and whether those instalments can be paid by cheque.

Baroness Barran: The payment instalment schemes for the TV licence fee are set out in the Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004.  Schedule 2 of the Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004 detail the instalment amounts and their frequency as prescribed by each instalment scheme. It is the BBC, not the government, that administers these schemes and is responsible for the collection and enforcement of the licence fee, including methods of payment. TV Licensing’s website explains that, at present, only annual licence fee payments can be made by cheque: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/pay-for-your-tv-licence/ways-to-pay/cheque-or-postal-order.

BBC: Political Impartiality

Lord Vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they have had with the BBC since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic about their obligations under the Royal Charter for the continuance of the British Broadcasting Corporation, presented to Parliament in December 2016, “to provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around them”.

Baroness Barran: The government meets with the BBC on regular occasions to discuss a wide range of issues. When speaking to Tim Davie to congratulate him on his appointment as the new Director General of the BBC, the Secretary of State welcomed Tim Davie’s commitment to impartiality at the BBC. In an age of fake news and self reinforcing algorithms, the need for genuine impartiality is greater than ever. In April the BBC announced a wide-ranging package of measures to help keep the nation informed, educated, and entertained through these unprecedented times. These new measures included daily and weekly coronavirus updates, supplied across television, radio and online platforms. The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of government, and it is for the BBC Board to ensure that all of the BBC’s output meets the highest standards the public expects. Ofcom is the independent regulator of the BBC, and is responsible for holding the BBC to account in this regard.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Senior Civil Servants

Baroness Kramer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many BAME civil servants there are at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport at (1) SCS1, (2) SCS2, (3) SCS3, and (4) SCS4, grade.

Baroness Barran: SCS17SCS2Less than FiveSCS3Less than FiveSCS4Less than Five As of September 2020, the department’s declaration rate for ethnicity is 77.2%, meaning that the figures in the table above are based on the percentage that was declared and not the department’s true population.

Women and Equalities

Employment: Equality

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle race inequality in the workplace.

Baroness Berridge: The Government’s Race Disparity Audit (RDA) and its website, Ethnicity Facts and Figures, was launched in October 2017. The website is world first and has been welcomed internationally for its open and data-driven approach to highlighting inequalities of outcomes.In response to its findings, Government has taken action to increase diversity in employment.This includes launching the Race at Work Charter which aims to increase ethnic minority representation in all sectors, and providing targeted employment support in twenty areas around the country with high rates of ethnic minority unemployment to boost earning potential.In 2018/19, the Government consulted on options for exploring possibilities for employer- level ethnicity pay reporting. Following the consultation, Government met with businesses and representative organisations to understand the barriers to reporting. The Government is continuing to analyse this data and is committed to responding to the consultation by the end of the year.In addition, this year the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities was established and is examining all aspects of continuing racial and ethnic disparities in Britain. It is building on the work of the Race Disparity Unit. The Commission is carrying out a deeper examination of what the causes of these disparities are, and is seeking to establish what works to address them effectively, including in employment and enterprise.

Government Equalities Office

Baroness Gale: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of women’s organisations the Government Equalities Office regularly engages with; and by what methods that Office engages with those women’s organisations.

Baroness Berridge: The Government Equalities Office has engaged with more than 25 women’s organisations by phone, email, online and in person in 2020. GEO regularly meets with relevant umbrella organisations including, most recently, Equally Ours, the UK Civil Society Women’s Alliance, National Alliance of Women's Organisations and Business in the Community to discuss the gendered impacts of COVID-19 to feed into policy advice. GEO is working to ensure the government can hear and be influenced by a wide range of women’s voices.

Females: Coronavirus

Baroness Manzoor: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have undertaken an impact assessment on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women; and if not, why not.

Baroness Berridge: An equalities assessment was carried out on the Coronavirus Act and was published on 28 July. This can be found at - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-act-2020-equality-impact-assessmentConsidering equality impacts is part of an ongoing process to support policy development. The responsibility for equalities impact assessments lies with departments, who take this responsibility very seriously. Impact assessments are kept under review and my colleagues are fully aware of their equality duties.

Racial Discrimination

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to address racism.

Baroness Berridge: The Government’s Race Disparity Audit (RDA) and its website, Ethnicity Facts and Figures, was launched in October 2017. The website is a world first and has been welcomed internationally for its open and data-driven approach to highlighting inequalities of outcomes. In response to its findings, Government has taken action to address disparities in criminal justice, increasing diversity in employment, mental health, school exclusions, and barriers to progress for young people. To date, the Race Disparity Unit has worked across Whitehall and with local authorities to co-produce interventions to address disparities. These include:? In the last 12 months, we have undertaken work to improve trust between police forces and the local communities that they serve, including increasing diversity in the police workforce and developing additional training? We continue to provide targeted employment support in twenty areas around the country with high rates of ethnic minority unemployment to boost earning potential? Last year, we announced measures to drive change in tackling inequalities between ethnic groups in higher education, and the last 10 years have seen a significant increase in the rates of 18 year olds from ethnic minority groups going to university;? And we are acting on the findings of the Public Health England Review into disparities in the risks and outcomes of COVID-19 to ensure we take the right steps to protect and minimise the risks to vulnerable groups. In addition, this year the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities was established and is examining all aspects of continuing racial and ethnic disparities in Britain. The Commission aims to set out a new, positive agenda for change - balancing the needs of individuals, communities and society, maximising opportunities and ensuring fairness for all.It is building on the work of the Race Disparity Unit. The Commission is carrying out a deeper examination of what the causes of these disparities are, and is seeking to establish what works to address them effectively.